Liberals win Bennelong

Liberals win Bennelong

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and newly elected Liberal member for Bennelong John Alexander celebrate at the by-election night party at the West Ryde Leagues Club in Sydney, Saturday, December 16, 2017. Picture: AAPSource:AAP

THE newly re-elected MP for Bennelong, John Alexander, has been forced to apologise for his election win gaffe involving the disabled.

At a press conference with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today, Mr Alexander said he did not intend to offend anyone with his joke about disabled parking permits during his victory speech.

“You can be mischievous with your interpretation, but my point was that no-one who doesn’t really need it should not have it,’ he said on Sunday.

Mr Turnbull also said that Mr Alexander had apologised to those he had offenced, saying: “John is a great Australian with a big heart. He respects everybody in this community, and he shows real leadership, particularly in the area of disability services.”

Mr Alexander’s victory against Labor’s star candidate, former NSW premier Kristina Keneally, will come as a relief to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The Liberal Party will retain the seat with a margin of 9.7 per cent, despite a swing against Alexander of around 5 per cent.

“There is no sign of a swing larger than that or significantly larger than that which could endanger the Liberal Party holding the seat and John Alexander will be re-elected,” ABC election analyst Antony Green said.

Former Liberal senator Cory Bernardi’s new party, Australian Conservatives is running a candidate, who has attracted around 4.7 per cent of the primary vote. It appears most of Joram Richa’s preferences have gone to Mr Alexander. The by-election in the northwestern suburban electorate in Sydney was called after Mr Alexander resigned from parliament after he suspected he was a dual citizen.

Saturday’s by-election became a tight contest after Labor took up the fight for the seat by selecting former NSW premier Ms Keneally, and throwing big names and resources into its campaign.

But the by-election has been less about the candidates, and more about the future of the Turnbull government and Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership. A Liberal loss would leave the government with 75 seats, meaning the coalition would no longer have a majority in the House of Representatives. But it would still be able to govern with crossbencher Cathy McGowan guaranteeing confidence and supply.

Both Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten were at polling booths in the Sydney electorate today, joined by a swathe of high-profile politicians.

The polling booths for the Bennelong by-election have now closed. Picture: Tim Hunter.Source:News Corp Australia

Senator Payne, who described Mr Alexander as “a great friend”, handed out how- to-vote cards at a local school in the morning.

Meanwhile, Mr Shorten was joined by opposition infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese to campaign with Labor’s star candidate Kristina Keneally. Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi visited Epping Public School with candidate Joram Richa, where the pair were confronted by a transgender woman. “I’m not what you guys think — all you religious nuts,” said the woman, who introduced herself as Julia.

Senator Bernardi told reporters he hoped his party garnered enough votes to impact the outcome of the election.

A Liberal loss would have left the government with 75 seats, meaning Mr Turnbull would no longer have a majority in the House of Representatives. The month-long campaign has turned dirty in its final week as polls suggests the two candidates are neck and neck.

While Labor has sought to redefine Saturday’s poll as a referendum on Mr Turnbull’s leadership, the Liberals have worked hard to remind voters of Ms Keneally’s past as NSW premier and her links to corrupt state MPs such as Eddie Obeid.

Harry Johnson, 31, told AAP the Liberals’ smear campaign against Ms Keneally had influenced him to vote for Mr Alexander.

“It was a little bit malicious but it does have an effect on people and it does swap people’s thinking, so I suppose it did work to a degree, on me at least,” Mr Johnson said.

James Stewart and his wife Carol told AAP they voted for Ms Keneally because they hoped she would help resolve issues with parking and footpaths in North Ryde.

They were also unhappy with the performances of Mr Alexander and the prime minister, with Mr Stewart saying the same-sex marriage postal vote, which he considered unnecessary, was another issue that helped sway his decision. Mr Turnbull acknowledged it was a “very, very close contest” when he and Mr Alexander met with voters at Gladesville Public School.

“Australia’s security and prosperity depends on John Alexander being back part of our government, delivering more than 1000 jobs a day,” he said. Mr Shorten, who joined Ms Keneally at Ryde East Public School, said the election was an opportunity to send the Turnbull government a message. “We know this government is out of touch, and here in Bennelong the people have a chance to say ‘pull your socks up, mate’.” The by-election was called after Mr Alexander resigned from parliament after he suspected he was a dual citizen.

Mr Turnbull acknowledged it was a “very, very close contest” when he and Liberal candidate John Alexander met with voters at Gladesville Public School. “Australia’s security and prosperity depends on John Alexander being back part of our government, delivering more than 1000 jobs a day,” he said.

Bennelong voter: &quot;I'm not voting for you&quot;

Bennelong voter: &quot;I'm not voting for you&quot;

Earlier today, Labor candidate Kristina Keneally declared she was feeling “energised” by the campaign before handing out how-to-vote cards at Ryde East Public School. “There has never been a more important vote in Bennelong,” she told reporters.

“Indeed the people of Australia are looking around at Bennelong, looking at this seat and wishing they were having their chance to have a say on this government.”

Mr Shorten was accused of being ‘un-Australia for nibbling at his sausage on election day from the middle.

Bill Shorten was accused of being ‘un-Australian’ for the way he ate his democracy sausage on election day last year. Picture: AAPSource:AAP

Both candidates have been joined by a star-studded entourage from federal and state politics during the month-long campaign including their federal leaders in Mr Turnbull and Opposition leader Bill Shorten.

The ALP has sought to redefine the poll as a referendum on Mr Turnbull’s leadership, while the Liberals have continually reminded voters of Kristina Keneally’s past life as the premier who in 2011 led Labor to the biggest election defeat in NSW history.

A loss in Bennelong would leave the government with 75 seats, meaning Mr Turnbull would no longer have a one-seat majority in the House of Representatives.

Sky News reported there were long lines outside some polling booths before they opened at 8am AEDT.